Walk-in bathtubs include a doorway that permits a user to walk into a bathtub without having to step over the side walls of the bathtub or step down into a sunken tub. Typically, these walk-in bathtubs will include a door within the doorway that swings either into the tub or outward from the tub into an open position to permit entrance and exit from the bathtub. When rotated to a closed position, the doors need some type of sealing mechanism to prevent water from leaking through the doorway when the tub is filled. Inward swinging doors have the advantage of using the hydrostatic pressure of the water to press the door against the doorway to help seal the door. However, the inward swinging doors have the disadvantage of being inconvenient to maneuver around when entering and exiting the bathtub. Outward swinging doors have the advantage of permitting easier entrance and exit to the bathtub, but can be more difficult to seal due to the tendency of the water pressure to press the door away from the closed sealed position.
Various proposals have been suggested for latching and sealing outwardly swinging doors for walk-in bathtubs. However, such designs are not optimal, and can be improved upon. For example, Hayslett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,354 shows a walk-in bathtub with an outward swinging door. The door has slots formed in an outward facing surface of its free end that receives lugs that can be extended through the door jam to hold the door closed. This design is relatively complicated and inconvenient to use and install, and furthermore does not include any mechanism for assuring a tight seal between the door and the door jam.
Corlew, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,312 shows a walk-in bathtub with an outward swinging door that utilizes a simple spring loaded rod that extends through the bottom base of the door into the base of the door jam to retain the door in a closed position. The mechanism of Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,241 is relatively simple to construct and use; however, it does not appear to show sufficient structure for securely sealing the door with the door jam.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved walk-in bathtub that includes a door that easily and securely closes in a water-tight closed position, and adjusts easily into an open configuration for convenient entrance and exit from the bathtub.